Unexpected Joy
by Tasha Hill
Summary: Third in a series. Thor and Jane have been together for three months and are beyond happy. Thor begins to worry when Jane exhibits signs of an illness. She assures him that it's nothing to worry about and that she'll be fine. Thor is reluctant, but respects her wishes.


"Unexpected Joy"  
By Tasha Hill

Genre: General/Romance

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Third in a series. Thor and Jane have been together for three months and are beyond happy. Thor begins to worry when Jane exhibits signs of an illness. She assures him that it's nothing to worry about and that she'll be fine. He is reluctant, but he respects her wishes.

AN: Hi, everyone. I'm back with another Thor/Jane one-shot. I am so, so sorry for my long absence. I can't believe this is my eleventh fic. I never thought I would post this many fics. A big shout out to my best friend and editor, Ashley. I truly believe that without her, this wouldn't have been possible. Please read, review and enjoy. Thank you.

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Light grey clouds filled the skies above Puente Antiguo. Thor turned in his sleep in the bed he shared with Jane, moaning softly and draped his arm over an empty space. His eyes snapped open, and he raised up a bit, finding she was gone. He raised himself higher on his right arm and looked around. He was about to call out her name, only to be stopped by the sound of coughing and retching from the adjoining bathroom. Throwing the covers off him, he grabbed a pair of boxers lying on the floor before slipping them on and heading for the bathroom. The noises stopped when he was a few feet away from the door, which was cracked open. He stood just outside it and gently knocked.

"Jane? Jane, are you all right?" Thor whispered.

The door was cracked just enough to let Thor see Jane on her knees in front of the toilet. He was no longer content to wait for an answer and stuck his head through.

"Jane?" Thor said.

Jane gasped at the sound of his voice and her head shot up from where it rested on the toilet. She saw the worried expression on Thor's face. She looked away as she flushed the toilet.

"Don't come in here. I know how worried you get. You shouldn't have to see this," Jane muttered.

Jane closed the toilet seat before getting off her knees and sitting on it and put her hands over her face. A look of sympathy appeared on Thor's face as he pushed the door completely open and came to kneel in front of her. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder while titling her face to look at him. He saw she looked so tired and pale.

"You're not well, Jane. You should see one of your physicians," Thor suggested in concern.

"I'm fine, Thor," Jane said. "It was probably just something I ate or me working too hard. We mortals get sick from time to time. It's normal. I'll be better in a day or two. I promise, okay?"

"If you do not improve by then, you must promise me you'll see someone," Thor said seriously. "Deal?"

"Deal," Jane agreed.

Jane leaned forward and met Thor in a kiss. Thor placed his hands on her knees, rubbing them gently. The look of concern never left his face. Jane tried to ease his worry. She placed her hands over his where they still rested on her knees and gave them a gentle squeeze.

"I'll be fine, Thor. I promise," Jane said.

Though he wasn't entirely convinced, Thor relented to Jane's wishes and nodded slowly. He ran his hand over her hair.

"All right," Thor said

"I think I'm going to go and lay back down. I'm still a little nauseous," Jane whispered.

Thor took Jane's hands and pulled them both into a standing position. Jane sighed softly before laying her head against his chest, smiling when she felt his arms wrap around her and holding her close. They stayed that way for a couple of minutes before they broke apart.

"Come. You should lie down and rest so that you may recover from what ails you," Thor suggested.

Jane nodded against her boyfriend and let him lead her out of the bathroom to the bedroom. She got into bed and allowed him to tuck her in, pulling the blankets over her. Thor looked down at her while running his fingers through her hair.

"I will let you rest," Thor said.

Thor turned and started to leave to get dressed before going downstairs when he felt Jane take his hand. He looked back at her.

"Lay with me?" Jane asked. "I love being in your arms."

"As I love having you in them," Thor answered.

Smiling warmly, Jane released Thor's hand and watched as he walked around to the other side of the bed before climbing in and under the covers. She turned and went into his open arms. Thor brushed her hair back and kissed her forehead before resting his cheek on it.

"Rest, Jane. I have you," Thor said comfortingly.

Jane snuggled deeper into Thor's chest before closing her eyes. The pattern of his girlfriend's breathing told him that she had fallen asleep after a few minutes. He held her a few minutes more before gently easing out of bed so as not to disturb her. He wanted her to recover from whatever plagued her. He dressed quietly and left the room. When he got downstairs, he found Darcy making breakfast and Erik sitting at the table with the newspaper and a cup of coffee.

"Good morning, my friends," Thor greeted.

"Hi, Thor," Darcy replied, looking over her shoulder at her friend.

Thor inclined his head to her as he sat at Erik's right. Erik took a swig of coffee before he looked over at him.

"Morning, Thor. How are you this morning?" Erik asked.

Thor looked at the older man while a smile. Darcy walked over with a hot cup of coffee and set it down in front of him, seeing him look up at her.

"Thank you, Darcy," Thor said.

"I'll have your breakfast ready in a minute," Darcy replied.

Thor nodded at Darcy and turned back to Erik as she moved away. He took a long sip of his coffee.

"I'm well, Erik. And you?" Thor asked.

"I suppose I can't complain," Erik answered with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Where's Jane? Breakfast is ready," Darcy commented and looked over her shoulder at Thor as she scrambled eggs.

"Is she still in the shower?" Erik wondered.

Thor shook his head. He knew Erik and Darcy were aware that Jane always took a morning shower before coming down for breakfast.

"No, she's in bed sleeping. She was ill when I woke and said she wanted to lie down," Thor explained. "Is that unusual for her?"

"In a way," Erik answered in awe. "Jane hasn't gotten sick since she was a little girl."

"Will she be all right?" Thor asked.

"Oh, I'm sure she'll be fine, Thor," Erik said and set the newspaper aside. "It's not the first time Jane's been sick. I'm sure all she needs is rest."

Though Thor was still concerned about Jane, he decided to drop the issue for the moment as he started on the plate of scrambled eggs and sausages that Darcy set in front of him as they started another conversation.

00000

Thor made his way up the stairs thirty minutes later. He went into Jane's room and quietly entered. He smiled warmly at seeing her sleeping form. Jane laid on the far side of the bed with her back to him. Thor moved toward it. Bracing his hands on the mattress, he leaned forward and gently kissed the side of Jane's head. Jane gave a soft moan of happiness and moved a little in her sleep, but she didn't wake up. Thor watched her sleep for several minutes before he decided to wake her. He rested his weight on one arm, lowering himself. He wrapped the other around her waist, pulling her back gently to his front before he brought his lips close to her ear.

"Jane, it's time for you to wake," Thor said.

Thor felt Jane stir and squeezed her gently while kissing her cheek. He watched as she turned her head and blinked a few times as her eyes met his. Jane smiled sleepily at him and got one from him in return. She gave a small moan and stretched still in his arms.

"Hi," Jane mumbled.

"Hello, Jane," Thor answered and removed his arm from around his girlfriend's waist to touch her cheek. "Are you well?"

Jane smiled sweetly at her boyfriend. She loved him and his concern for her. She nodded against the hand that now cupped her cheek.

"Yes, Thor. I feel much better now after my nap," Jane said and cleared her throat. "I love that you worry about me, even when it's not necessary."

"Hear this, Jane. You are the woman I love and I will always worry for you and I will do all that is within my power to protect you and our friends. Do you understand this?" Thor declared.

Jane chuckled to herself. She couldn't believe how touched she felt by Thor's words. Aside from her parents and Erik and Darcy, she never felt much love or joy in her life until that fateful night when she "grazed" Thor with her car. She looked him in the eye and brought a hand to his cheek, her thumb moving along it.

"I understand, Thor. I love you too," Jane said lovingly.

Jane brought Thor's head down to hers and kissed him softly. They broke apart to look at each other before a new series of kisses began. Before they could get too carried away, there was a knock at the door.

"Knock it off, you two," Darcy said in irritation. "I can hear the smacking through the door. God, hormonal check much."

Thor and Jane broke the kiss and smiled at each other, laughing quietly as he buried his face in the crook of her neck for a moment before he brought it back up to look at her. As they leaned to each other to kiss again, there was another knock, a bit louder this time.

"Don't even think about it, guys," Darcy said and let out a heavy scoff. "Jane, we're supposed to go buy groceries if you're feeling up to it. If you're not, I can get Erik."

Jane looked at Thor, who smiled while raising his eyebrows. She sighed in defeat, knowing she had to get out bed at some point.

"Okay. I'll be there in a few minutes," Jane said, running her hand through her hair.

"You better. If I have to come back up here, I'm bringing my taser. I mean it, Thor," Darcy said somewhat seriously.

"I do not doubt it, Darcy," Thor answered. "Jane will return to you momentarily."

"She better," Darcy retorted.

"Ten minutes, Darcy," Jane commented.

"Five," Darcy said.

Thor and Jane listened as they heard Darcy's footsteps grow fainter and fainter until there was only silence. The young woman looked up at the thunder god and gave a deep sigh.

"I better go before she decides to come back," Jane mumbled, feeling disappointed.

Thor nodded and reluctantly climbed from the bed, his hand all the while holding Jane's as she did the same. They walked towards the door before Thor stopped and looked at Jane, taking her hands in his. He looked at her with a sincerity and concern.

"Jane, promise me you're not concealing an illness from me," Thor said quietly.

Jane gave him a soft smile before standing on her toes to kiss him. She pulled back and took his face in her hands, her thumbs stroking his cheeks.

"I promise you, Thor Odinson that what happened today was caused by fatigue and working too hard. After Darcy and I get back, I'll take it easy. Deal?" Jane said.

"Deal," Thor replied.

Jane gave Thor another reassuring smile and quick kiss before leading him out of the bedroom and down the stairs. Once they were at the bottom, Darcy was standing by the door with her and Jane's purses. Jane looked around when she didn't see Erik before she looked at her.

"Where's Erik?" Jane wondered.

"He's in the lab," Darcy answered, rolling her eyes. "Now, come on. We've got a lot of stuff to get."

Jane gave Darcy a smile and nod before turning to Thor. She placed her hands in his and took a deep breath.

"Return to me quickly," Thor whispered in tenderness.

"I will. I love you," Jane said.

"As I love you," Thor answered.

Thor and Jane leaned forward simultaneously and met each other in a tender kiss. Jane broke it before it became too passionate.

"If I don't leave now, I never will," Jane muttered.

"Would that be so bad?" Thor asked and chuckled suggestively.

"It is if you don't want Darcy to taser you," Jane smirked.

"You're right," Thor agreed. "Go and may you both be safe."

Jane reluctantly left Thor's embrace and walked over to Darcy, who handed her purse and the keys to her. She looked at him.

"Tell Erik we'll be back as soon as we can," Jane said.

"As you wish, my lady," Thor replied and bowed respectfully.

Jane giggled in glee. Darcy rolled her eyes as she opened the door and dragged her friend behind her.

00000

Jane and Darcy browsed through aisles at the local grocery store eight minutes later. They had already selected several things that were now in their shopping cart. Jane was leaning on the cart handle, checking over the list while Darcy grabbed a few loaves of bread and hamburger buns and placed them in the cart. She looked at Jane, who had her eyes on the list.

"Okay, that's four loafs of bread and buns. Anything else from here?" Darcy wondered.

"Yeah, four things of sloppy joe mix," Jane answered.

Darcy nodded before turning and grabbing the mix. When she turned back around, she saw Jane was slouching against the cart and rubbing her forehead. She became very concerned.

"Are you okay?" Darcy asked.

"I don't know," Jane replied and removed her hand from her forehead. "I thought I was after I laid back down, but now I feel a little light-headed."

"You want to just finish here and come back later?" Darcy suggested.

Jane felt another brief wave of dizziness, but she ignored it. She looked at Darcy and shook her head.

"No, there's no point in coming back later when we're already here," Jane commented and sighed quietly.

"Jane, I really think we should go and get you checked out," Darcy said seriously. "Thor would go nuts if something happened to you."

"I'm fine, Darcy. I promise. I'm just exhausted from working so hard, okay?" Jane assured.

Darcy let out a deep sigh as she relented albeit unwilling and unconvinced. She gave Jane a stern look.

"Okay, fine. But the minute we get home, you're making an appointment to see a doctor. Understood?" Darcy said.

Jane couldn't help but smile in fondness of her friend's convictions. She felt so lucky to have her, Thor, and Erik in her life. They were the only few people who loved her and she loved them. She looked at Darcy and nodded, still smiling.

"Yes, Darcy. Understood," Jane said and held up her hands.

"Good," Darcy responded. "Because if you don't, I will taser you unconscious while Thor isn't looking, load you in the car, and carry your butt to the doctor's myself."

"Okay, Darcy, okay," Jane said, getting annoyed.

"Okay," Darcy said, feeling satisfied. "We need a couple of pounds of beef for spaghetti, right?"

Jane held back a moan as she was once again assaulted by a wave of dizziness. Darcy watched in huge concern at seeing her sway. Jane gripped the handle of the shopping cart in an attempt to steady herself and brought a hand up to her forehead.

"Jane, you're freaking me out here," Darcy said, swallowing hard.

"Darcy, I don't feel so—" Jane started.

Before Jane could finished her sentence, her eyes rolled up before they closed and she passed out. Panicked, Darcy eased her to the ground as gently as she could and tried shaking her awake while calling out to her. People who heard the commotion started to gather around to see what was going on. Darcy ignored them, being more worried about her unconscious friend.

"Jane? Jane, come on, wake up!" Darcy yelled in fear.

After not getting a response, she shot into her purse and grabbed her cell phone and dialed 911. An operator came on the line and asked what the emergency was. Darcy proceeded to explain what was going on.

00000

Erik and Thor sat in the living room on the sofa while watching amateur wrestling. One wrestler bounced another off the ring's ropes and threw him toward the other side. He got knocked down by his opponent in a clothesline move. He jumped to his feet to punch him as he came off the ropes. Thor formed an annoyed look on his face. He turned to Eric, who eyed him closely.

"And mortals find this idiocy entertaining?" Thor asked.

"Amazingly, some do and some just enjoy watching big overweight men beat each other up," Eric answered. "I find it pointless, myself."

Erik leaned forward and grabbed the remote that was laying on the coffee table in front of them. Just as he was about to change the channel, the phone started ringing. Handing the remote to Thor, Erik rose from the sofa with a light grunt and walked over to where the phone hung on the wall and picked it up.

"Hello?" Erik asked.

_"Erik, it's me. You and Thor need to get to the hospital right now,"_ Darcy said in a panicky voice.

"Whoa, Darcy. Slow down. What's wrong?" Erik said.

Thor looked over in Erik's direction at hearing Darcy's name. He started to get a feeling that something was wrong.

_"Erik, Jane's in the hospital,"_ Darcy said.

"Jane's in the hospital? What happened?"

All of a sudden, Thor jumped to his feet and rushed to Erik's side. He saw him put his hand on the mouth piece.

_"She passed out in the grocery store and when I couldn't get her to come to, I called an ambulance. I really wish you guys would get over here,"_ Darcy panicked.

Erik looked into Thor's worried eyes. He could tell that his friend had heard everything that Darcy said. He turned back to the phone.

"We're on our way. We'll be there soon," Erik said and hung up the phone before looking at Thor. "Jane passed out at the grocery store. She's at the hospital."

"We must get to her," Thor said and started toward the door, but he was stopped by Erik's holding up his hand.

"We will, Thor. Just give me a few minutes," Erik said calmly.

Erik dialed a number on the phone before placing it to his ear. After two rings, someone answered.

"Hey, Bill. It's me. Can I borrow your truck? It's an emergency,"

Thor watched as Erik continued speaking into the phone. He saw his friend look at him and nod his head before turning away.

"Great. We'll be right over," Erik said and hung up the phone as he gazed at Thor. "Friend of mine is going to let us use his truck. Come on."

Erik and Thor ran out the door. They were both in too much worry and in a big hurry to bother closing it.

00000

At Puente Antiguo County Hospital, Darcy stood semi-pacing in the waiting room as she clutched her styrofoam cup of lukewarm coffee and waited for news on Jane. Jane had woken up a few minutes after arriving at the hospital and the doctor who had been assigned to her wanted to run some tests to find out what caused her to pass out and her nausea.

Darcy sighed quietly as she looked at her watch before glancing at the empty hallway that lead to Jane's room where her doctor was currently talking to her. She knew they had been talking for at least fifteen to twenty minutes. She prayed that it wasn't anything serious. She took a sip of her coffee and cringed, finding it had gone cold and bitter. She was about to walk over to the trashcan in the corner when someone called her name. She turned to see Erik and Thor coming up to her. She breathed a huge sigh of relief as she hugged them both.

"Thank God. I'm so glad you guys are here," Darcy said.

"Where is she? Is she all right?" Thor asked worryingly.

"I don't know," Darcy answered. "After she woke up, the doctor did some tests on her to see what happened. The test results came in..."

Darcy looked down at her watch again. She returned her attention to her friends, licking her lips.

"Twenty-five minutes ago," Darcy said. "Her doctor's still in there talking to her."

"And they have told you nothing?" Thor asked.'

"Mm-hmm," Darcy replied with a nod.

Thor looked away with a heavy sigh. He had never felt so helpless in his life. It took everything he had not to charge through the place and demand answers. He didn't know how much longer he could stand it. He looked at his friends with sadness and determination.

"I cannot lose her now. We have been too long without each other when I first left her. The Fates will not take her from me now. I will not allow it," Thor declared in determination.

Erik stepped closer to Thor and placed his hand on his right shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. He looked him in the eye.

"We know that, Thor. We know how much you love her, and she knows that too. Whatever this is, Jane will pull through it. She'll be all right," Erik said in comfort.

"Thank you, my friend. I hope you're right," Thor commented.

The trio looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps. They saw a man who looked to be in his mid-fifties was walking towards them. Darcy gave a brief glance to her friends before looking back at him.

"That's her doctor. Dr. Michaels," Darcy whispered.

Dr. Michaels gave a friendly smile when he came to a stop a couple of feet from the group. He looked at Darcy, raising his eyebrows.

"Miss Lewis, I understand you were with Miss Foster when she was brought in," Dr. Michaels said.

"Yeah, I was," Darcy responded with a nod.

Dr. Michaels nodded before he looked at Erik and Thor and extended his hand. Both men shook it one at a time.

"I'm Dr. Daniel Michaels. I was assigned to oversee Miss Foster's care. You must be Erik Selvig and Thor Odinson," Dr. Michaels said, allowing a small chuckle to come out of his mouth. "Interesting name, by the way."

"Is Jane all right?" Thor asked, his eyes full of worry.

"She's going to be fine. She's asking for you," Dr. Michaels answered and jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "Second door on the left."

Thor moved passed the doctor and made his way to Jane's room. He could see her lay reclining comfortably in bed with her head turned to the side facing the window. Jane turned her head as he opened the door. She smiled sweetly when she saw him.

"Thor," Jane whispered.

Jane held open her arms. Thor quickly came forward and sat on the side of the bed, both wrapping their arms around each other. He sighed with relief.

"I feared the worst. I thought I was going to lose you," Thor mumbled.

Thor felt Jane shake her head against his before she pulled back just enough for them to look at each other. Jane brought a hand to his cheek, caressing it.

"You're not going to lose me," Jane said calmly. "I promised you that I'd be okay, and I am. More than okay."

"Then what was it that made you ill and collapse?" Thor wondered in confusion.

Jane took Thor's hand and placed it on her stomach and held it there. Thor looked down at their hands and realization dawned on him, his eyes shooting up to meet hers. She smiled happily and nodded.

"I'm pregnant, Thor. I'm going to have your baby," Jane said.

Thor's gaze once again fell to their hands over Jane's stomach. Jane was beginning to become nervous at his silence.

"Thor?" Jane asked.

Thor looked at Jane's face and realized what she must be feeling. He brought his free hand to her cheek, moving his thumb up and down it.

"I have no words to thank you, Jane, for this most treasured gift. My heart could burst from this joyous news. Know that you have my love and my gratitude for making me happy beyond words. I love you, Jane, and I love this child," Thor said lovingly.

Smiles appeared on the couple's faces. Thor drew Jane into his arms once more and kissed the side of her head.

"We should tell our friends as well. They've been most worried about you," Thor said.

"I asked Dr. Michaels to do that," Jane said and pulled back to look at Thor. "I wanted to tell you about the baby in private. I know you love me, Thor, but I wasn't sure how you would feel about it. I wonder if all first time moms feel this way."

Thor couldn't help but smile. He shook his head fondly before he leaned forward and kissing Jane sweetly.

"There is no need for uncertainty. Nothing in the nine realms could make me happier," Thor said and reached down to rub Jane's stomach. "When will it be born?"

"In six months," Jane responded. "The doctor said I was already three months along."

"The night I returned to you," Thor whispered in awe.

"Every day since then has been a gift," Jane giggled.

"It has," Thor agreed. "Now, we've been given the greatest gift of all. One I am most thankful for."

"Me too. I love you, Thor," Jane said.

"And I love you, Jane," Thor replied.

Thor moved to sit at the head of the bed and put an arm around Jane, who leaned into him and closed her eyes. He kissed the top of her head before resting his cheek against it. They couldn't believe this was happening and how happy they were. Their love had created something beautiful and amazing and they looked eagerly forward to making the journey together to its completion as a family. A new chapter in their lives had begun.

THE END


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